The Soul Thief
by gorey
Summary: One day while Watanuki and Doumeki are out, a strange man catches sight of the boy who can see spirits and takes a rather unnerving amount of interest in him. DoumekixWatanuki. Spoilers. Eventual lemon.
1. Out Shopping

**The Soul Collector**

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

**Rating: **M

**Summary:** One day while Watanuki and Doumeki are out, a strange man catches sight of the boy who can see spirits and takes a rather unnerving amount of interest in him. DoumekixWatanuki.

---

"Doumeki, you big oaf," Watanuki hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you really have to just stand there looking so... emotionless?"

Doumeki gave Watanuki a sideways glance, then shrugged. "I guess I do. Why?"

"It bothers me," the other boy answered, looking away. He reached down and picked up a sweet potato from the crate in front of them. Today was a shopping day, and since Doumeki hadn't had archery after school, he'd offered to help the other boy carry groceries to Yuuko's shop.

Grudgingly, Watanuki had excepted, and now here they were. Together. Shopping for ingredients for Yuuko's dinner.

"It would seem everything I do bothers you," Doumeki commented, flatly.

Watanuki rounded on him, waving around a potato. "That's because you just look so damn... Ridiculous, with that placid face! It's embarrassing!"

Doumeki put his fingers in his ears. A few people were starting to stare, what with Watanuki's yelling and flailing about, and the taller of the two raised his eyebrows, looking around. "_You're_ the one drawing attention. If anyone should be embarassed, I'd say it's me."

Watanuki turned bright red and backed up, heterochromatic eyes darting around. He slowly started going back to picking out potatoes as people began to go about their business, soon forgetting the display the teenager had put on.

It was always so annoying when Doumeki pointed out that he was making a scene.

"Well," the bespectacled boy mumbled to himself, "I wouldn't have anything to cause a scene over if Doumeki weren't so idiotic and... and..."

"And what else?" Doumeki asked, suddenly very near to Watanuki's ear.

Promptly, the other boy jumped, nearly losing his grip on the basket in his hand. "Why, you---"

"I'm gonna go over there," Doumeki said, ignoring any comments Watanuki had on the tip of his tongue, ready to spew. "I want to grab something. I think I want you to make spicy food tonight."

Watanuki's mouth hung open as he watched Doumeki's retreating form. "Wha? We're having dinner at your house? WELL, WE'RE JUST HAVING TEMPURA TONIGHT AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO... deal... with that..."

The other boy had rounded the corner, definitely not listening, so Watanuki trailed off. He sighed, finishing with getting sweet potatoes and turning around to go after batter mix, and maybe fruit for dessert. He honestly didn't care about leaving Doumeki behind at the moment, because he'd sure enough be able to find his way back to Watanuki to continue being annoying.

Although, admittedly, he wasn't nearly as put off by Doumeki's presence of late as he usually was. In fact, his temper tantrums were getting less explosive and his urge to cause the taller boy bodily harm wasn't nearly as prominent as it had been a few months ago.

He obviously couldn't hate Doumeki too much, anyway, since he'd given up an eye for him. But using logic like that didn't work for Watanuki. And Doumeki had ended up returning the favour, later.

Actions like that, with both of them acting so selfless and concerned for the others well being, would have anyone guessing that the two of them were quite close. In some ways, maybe they were. They balanced each other out, and seemed to be spending more and more time together.

He wanted to keep on hating his rival, as one-sided as that rivalry may be. Hating Doumeki was a lot easier than liking him and trying to really be his friend, anyway.

But really, that task was getting harder and harder with each passing day.

Watanuki remembered when Doumeki had become suspicious of his eye, and pushed him against the wall, ripping off the bandage that had covered it. The lack of iris or pupil there had made Doumeki's face fill with worry and anger. It was scary, how he'd been so commanding that Watanuki bring Yuuko there at that moment.

'Eh,' Watanuki thought, gazing at some plump apples, fingers brushing over their smooth surface to check for holes or bruises. 'He probably just wanted to make sure I could see so that I'd keep making him meals...'

With his thoughts so distracted, Watanuki didn't notice the tall figure that was quietly watching him from only feet away, grinning maliciously.

---

Augh, this is so short. Not nearly as long as I intended it to be; but please, bear with me, it gets good.

Plenty of Douwata and drama in the chapters to come.


	2. A Stranger in the Doorway

**The Soul Collector**

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

**Rating: **M

**Summary:** One day while Watanuki and Doumeki are out, a strange man catches sight of the boy who can see spirits and takes a rather unnerving amount of interest in him. DoumekixWatanuki.

---

"Are you done, yet?"

Doumeki was watching over Watanuki's shoulder, inhaling as the scent of fried tempura wafted about the kitchen.

"No," Watanuki said, turning and attempting to push the other boy away. Doumeki, however, was like a brick wall, and only looked down at him with a bit of amusement in his otherwise expressionless face. "In fact, dinner won't be done for a while. So just get out."

"It's my kitchen. And besides, I want to help."

"I don't need your help!"

Doumeki grabbed Watanuki's hands and pushed them away with a surprisingly good mixture of firmness and gentleness. Okay, maybe not so surprising; he was a master of archery, after all. Sometimes Watanuki forgot what qualities that took.

"Look, Yuuko sent me in here, and she said if you refuse my help, I should just send in Mokona. Now, which do you choose?"

Watanuki yanked his hands away, gritting his teeth. Mokona was way too loud and hyperactive to be around bubbling, frying food. The small creature would probably end up hurting itself, or worse, the chef.

"...okay, fine. Stay. Just, er, go stir that rice or something."

Doumeki nodded and went over to the pot, slowly stirring. He looked over at Watanuki, who was mumbling about how Doumeki shouldn't let Yuuko tell him what to do in his own home.

"You look funny in that apron," he commented.

Watanuki tensed, turning to look at him. "You just_ had_ to speak, didn't you?"

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Doumeki said with a shrug. "You're too touchy. What I mean is... you look different. It sort of suits you. I like it."

Watanuki stared, not sure what to say. So he did something that was a bit uncharacteristic of himself; he didn't say anything at all. Rather, he turned his back to Doumeki, stirring the contents of the frying pan, and blushing.

Yuuko was stretched out on Doumeki's couch, as usual in an elaborate kimono, deep red with black trim and golden butterflies embroidered elegantly upon it. A slit in the side revealed her long, white legs, and her hair was flowing freely down her back and over her shoulders.

She blew a river of smoke into the air, watching with lazy red eyes as Mokona snoozed on the floor. It was a relaxing night, but she had a strange feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. Something was going to happen tonight. And it involved Watanuki.

She sensed that they would soon, be getting a visitor.

But, of course, Yuuko said nothing, just smoking and lounging as she waited for dinner to be served. She would, as usual, leave everything up to hitsuzen.

And lets' not forget that nothing was more important to Yuuko than her dinner and sake.

Watanuki and their host walked out with food on platters, and a vein popped out visibly on his forehead. "Could you not smoke when you're at someone else's house?!"

Yuuko blew some smoke into his face, making Watanuki cough and whip the platter of food up over his head so it would not be tainted. "Doumeki-kun doesn't mind. Really, Watanuki, do you not think I would ask before I started smoking? Besides, the windows are open."

"Well, you never know with you..."

Soon they were all sitting around the meal Watanuki had cooked up; Edamame rice and tofu, along with sweet potato tempura, and sliced fruits for dessert. Of course, there was also sake for Mokona and Yuuko to enjoy, which made the two immensely happy.

In the middle of dinner, Doumeki reached over and took a piece of tofu from Watanuki's plate. The other boy saw it out of the corner of his eye, then proceded to wave his arms about, yelling.

"YOU DARE TAKE SOMETHING FROM THE GREAT WATANUKI-SAMA'S PLATE?! If it weren't for me, you'd all be starving right now! I've never encountered a host so rude, so completely---"

"Excuse me."

Watanuki froze, mouth open and hands in the air. Everyone else turned their heads, even Mokona (though she was in the middle of guzzling sake), and Doumeki lowered his hands, since he'd started to plug his ears up with his fingers again.

The doorway was open, letting in the night air, and there looking in stood a rather strange looking man.

He wore a long red cloak, that went over his shoulders and covered most of his tall body. His skin was as pale as Yuuko's, and his hair was so blonde it was nearly white, tied back loosely to allow some stray tendrils loose, most framing is face, others tucked behind his ears, which were littered with small silver piercings. He swept down to take a bow, then looked up; his eyes were wide and a vivid golden colour, that bored into Watanuki's entire being.

"I'm very sorry to intrude, but I have business with Yuuko," he said, voice drawling and deep.

The dimensional witch was on her feet, looking at him studyingly. "Do you?"

"Yes," the stranger said, straightening. He looked at Doumeki. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Watanuki's eyes widened. 'How did he know...?'

Doumeki stood, glancing at Yuuko for confirmation. She nodded, but her own eyes did not leave the newcomer. "...yes," he finally complied, and the man in the doorway rose lightly up and came inside.

He unclasped his cloak and let it drop to the floor, revealing a simple, half open white shirt with ruffled sleeves, and black pants. His feet were bare, but barely seemed to touch the ground.

"Now," Yuuko said, moving to Doumeki's couch again and laying out upon it. She picked up her pipe from its tray on the floor and took a drag, making Watanuki look at Doumeki, wondering if it bothered him that she was treating his home like her own shop. "What can I help you with?"

"First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Valri," the man said. When Yuuko only nodded, he continued. "And I'm interested in buying something of yours."

"Oh? And what sort of thing are you in the market for?" The witch asked, now interested.

"Souls."

The room grew a bit quiet, as Valri's eyes went to Watanuki for only a moment, a smile starting to form that was less than virtuous.

Watanuki did not seem to notice, but Doumeki did, and it made him uneasy.

Yuuko was as unreadable as ever.

She put her pipe down.

"I see... and whose soul are you after?"

"His," Valri turned and stared at Watanuki with hungry eyes. He pointed, making the teen jump. "Kimihiro Watanuki's."

---

Suspense!


	3. Not for Sale

**The Soul Collector**

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

**Rating: **M

**Summary:** One day while Watanuki and Doumeki are out, a strange man catches sight of the boy who can see spirits and takes a rather unnerving amount of interest in him. DoumekixWatanuki.

---

"You can't have it."

Doumeki had broken the silence that followed Valri's words.

"You can't have Watanuki's soul."

The man in question looked at Doumeki, only seeming to be amused, and said, "My dear boy, I believe that is up to Yuuko."

Watanuki sputtered. "B-but, why? Why isn't something like this up to _me_?!"

Before Valri could say anything, Yuuko spoke, "Because you are in debt to me, Watanuki. Right now, you are, in a way, owned by me; I'm your boss and the one who will grant your wish when ever your debt is paid. Valri is a Soul Collector, and apparently, he finds you interesting." She gazed from one person to the next. "If your parents were alive, the decision would have been up to them. If you had a lover, then it would be theirs. I believe it has been said to you before, Watanuki, that no one can ever truly belong to himself."

Watanuki swallowed, standing up, and Doumeki's hard stare went to the witch.

_'Surely, she wouldn't...' _the bespectacled boy thought. _'Then again, you never know. Yuuko never seems to do anything I expect her to. What if she does give away my soul? Would I---'_

"Would he die?" Doumeki asked, and that was just question Watanuki had been about to wonder.

Valri chuckled ominously. "Well, when someone's soul is taken, they don't actually die. They become a... shell of their former self, more or less. They will be vacant and unresponsive, lose their personality and memories."

"In some ways," Yuuko said, her tone serious and dark, "it is a fate worse than death."

Doumeki's hands balled up into fists. He was getting more and more tense by the second.

"Why me, though?" Watanuki asked. "What could possibly be so interesting about _my _soul?"

Valri starting walking slowly toward him, grinning. His teeth were all quite sharp. "You really don't know? You have such a... delicious aura. Spirits notice it. They follow you, yes?"

Watanuki nodded.

"I thought so. See, I can tell when someone is special."

He got very close to the boy, about to touch his face as Watanuki stared, almost hyptnotized, into the soul collector's golden eyes. But Doumeki was there in a flash, pushing the stranger back.

"Stay away from him. Yuuko, tell him Watanuki's soul is not for sale."

The witch was on her feet now, too, and walked toward Valri.

"I apologize, I can see how Watanuki would be a very valuable addition to your collection..." she trailed off, looking at her helper. "But Doumeki-kun is right. His soul is not up for sale."

Mokona leaped up onto her shoulder, echoing, "Not for sale!"

Valri moved back, and took another graceful bow. He retrieved his cloak from the floor and tied it back on.

"I see. Well, I am sorry for disturbing your dinner." The pale man turned to look at Doumeki. "Thank you for allowing me to come inside." Doumeki did not look as though he was as pleased as Valri was about that fact, only glaring. "And thank you, as well, Yuuko, for hearing my desire. I wish it could have worked out... Believe me, I would have paid a hefty fee."

Yuuko smiled. "I'm sure."

With a sweeping motion and a blur of red cape, the soul collector was gone.

Watanuki would have questioned his tricky disappearance, but was too relieved that Yuuko had told the man no.

"Thank you, Yuuko..." he began to say, but the witch was already back at the table and cheerfully downing more sake with Mokona.

Later that night, Watanuki was at his apartment, washing up and getting ready for bed.

The rest of dinner had gone on as normal, except for the fact that Doumeki was very tense and more withdrawn than usual.

And Yuuko had insisted that he let Mokona accompany him on his walk home, saying something strange;

_"You may want to be on your guard tonight, Watanuki."_

He didn't question her, however. Yuuko was always saying things like that. By now, he knew to take her seriously, and didn't complain about having to take Mokona with him.

Well, not much.

Besides, it had worked out fine. He'd had no trouble on the way home and now Mokona was gone, having flown off back to the shop. Time to relax, and get a good night of rest before school.

Watanuki took off his glasses and set them on the table by his bed, slipping under the covers and starting to doze off. His mind wandered to calm, sweet places; talks with Himawari-chan, lunch with her, and even walks with Doumeki...

Just when Watanuki was almost completely gone, he got a sudden rush of dread.

He sat up, looking around though he could see nothing in the dark, especially not without his glasses. But he could feel, could certainly tell that someone was there in the room with him.

"H-hello? Who's there?"

A pair of familiar golden eyes gleamed at him through the dark, and an equally familiar, languid voice followed.

"Hello again, my special boy."

Valri.

---

More suspense. Oh, how I love it.

If anyone noticed, I changed the title to something more... suitable, if you catch my drift.

It_ was_ "The Soul Collector."

Thank you so much for reading! Please review!


	4. You Don't Belong to Yourself

**The Soul Thief**

**Genre:** Drama/Romance

**Rating: **M

**Summary:** One day while Watanuki and Doumeki are out, a strange man catches sight of the boy who can see spirits and takes a rather unnerving amount of interest in him. DoumekixWatanuki. Spoilers. Eventual lemon.

---

Watanuki reached fast for the small lamp at his beside, flicking it on. It created a small pool of light, and, squinting, he was able to see Valri standing quite close, looming over his bed.

"You---" he cried out, the sound soon muffled by Valri's quick, cold hands.

"Hush," the man said, mouth near to Watanuki's face, "and consider yourself lucky that I've chosen you."

Watanuki tried yelling again, now sitting up, flailing and trying to scratch at Valri as he felt the soul collector - no, _thief_ - come closer. Valri caught his arms, fast, able to see much more clearly than the teen could. He pulled Watanuki from the bed, then dropped him to the ground, successfully knocking the breath out of the boy and making him go silent.

Valri swept over him, graceful and with barely a sound, crouched over his body with a foot on either side of the Watanuki's hips. He gazed at the frightened boy with a dangerous smile. Watanuki blinked; his vision was blurred, but it would be impossible not to see those rows of sharp teeth, so wickedly bared, threatening. "Yes, quite lucky." He gripped the front of Watanuki's night shirt, pulling him forward, eye to eye. "I don't usually go _out of my _way to get someone's soul."

Watanuki's hands flew to grasp Valri's wrists, pulling. His grip was tight, but the intruder's was tighter. Valri's lips moved; he was mumbling something, but Watanuki didn't care to listen. He began to use his legs, kicking out, but was stopped short by a sudden feeling of relaxation that washed over his body. It pooled from his stomache outward; reaching down from the tips of his toes all the way up to his eyelids, which began to droop.

Valri cooed, as Watanuki's grip on his wrists slipped away, and he fell limply back onto the floor. "That's right, just be calm. Submit. Your body is heavy, tired..." With each word, Watanuki seemed to feel more and more dazed and relaxed, until he could barely move his fingers. What was this? A spell? Valri must have powers...

He should have known, really. Something hadn't seemed human about this man, from the beginning.

Watanuki watched through half-lidded eyes as Valri leaned forward, brushing his finger tips over the lips of the boy beneath him, and Watanuki slowly exhaled, a frightened, shuddering breath. "Just try to think of happy things," Valri purred, closer than ever. Watanuki could feel whisps of that long white hair brushing against his skin. "It'll help your mind relax as well - a feat I sadly can't accomplish."

Watanuki couldn't speak, only making a low groaning sound in the back of his throat. Valri's lips closed over his own as his mouth opened. He felt the man above him suck in, and thought that he might just die right then and there, having something so near to a kiss stolen from a stranger (and one who was going to turn him into a shell of his former self, at that). But then, he was suddenly too distracted to consider the matter further, because at that moment the strangest thing he had ever felt in his life was occuring.

It was as though his entire being was being withdrawn from his skin. He felt a tug, all over, like a fish on a hook being reeled in, or perhaps more like the tide of the ocean the fish swam in, being pulled from the shore.

_'So this is what it's like to have your soul taken...'_

It was terrible and amazing all at once, so unreal. So impossible, that he was being yanked from his feet to his legs to his stomach and on up, out of his body. His mind felt like it was leaving his skull. Watanuki tried to fight it, but there was really nothing it could do except brace himself and will Varli to stop. With all his might, he tried pulling back, both retrieving himself and pushing himself back inside his body at the same time.

It may have been working, because Valri's hands found his arms and squeezed, and his sucking grew stronger. Watanuki felt his eyes close and his willpower weaken, the world becoming strange and warped, fuzzy at the edges.

He was unconscious by the time Doumeki got there.

The archer had kicked his way in. He looked quickly around, searching for Watanuki. He spotted the bedroom door and ran forward, throwing it open.

"Watanuki---!" He was cut off by the sight of Valri crouched over Watanuki like a creature and its prey, mouth pressed to the parted lips of the boy beneath him. Doumeki nearly growled, the hand that held his bow shaking as anger coursed through him. Thankfully, Valri had not seemed to notice his rather loud entrance, still busy with drinking the life of Doumeki's friend; and the archer could see that Watanuki was fading fast. His skin was stark white, and his body completely limp, chest barely rising and falling with each laboured breath.

Doumeki calmed himself, unable to think of anything to do except what he'd come prepared to accomplish; kill Valri.

He walked across the room and stood over the two, lifted his bow and retrieved an arrow from the carrier at his back, and aimed, holding his breath. His hands were still shaking slightly; he had to take a moment to calm himself; Yuuko had said to be sure he got Valri's heart.

There was a beat, and then he released.

The arrow caught its target, sticking between the shoulder blades of the thief, and Valri let go of Watanuki abruptly. He tossed his head back, eyes growing wide as he coughed; a sort of golden mist hung in the air as it escaped Valri, and Doumeki could not take his eyes from it, even as the man grabbed at his leg and started making gurgling sounds.

The mist drifted lazily through the air, making its way back to Watanuki. It sunk into his mouth, glowing as it did so, lighting up Watanuki's face and bringing back his skin colour.

Doumeki's gaze finally went to Valri, only to be utterly disgusted; the man, once so charming and beautiful, was turning to ash, and quickly. His skin turned black first around where the arrow petruded a bit from his chest, then outward, burning and burning, making the air smell of charred flesh. Doumeki kicked him away, avoided getting blackened skin on his kariginu. Soon he was nothing more than a pile of soot.

After his initial shock was over, Doumeki shouldered his bow and walked to Watanuki. He was long passed out. He picked the boy up and surveyed his face; so peaceful, so innocent. It was strange to see him this way, not confused, angry, or unnerved by something Yuuko had said. It stirred something in Doumeki that he had to force down, swallowing hard.

He started to leave, then as an afterthought, retrieved Watanuki's glasses.

And then he began the trek to Yuuko's shop.

She was waiting outside for him.

---

Valri, your friendly neighborhood Dementor.

_Kudos to anyone who gets that joke. _

Huzzah! Doumeki came to save the day. :'D

I hope you liked this chapter. Just a warning;** There will be a lemon in the next one.**

Please review!


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